Electric signalling device for traffic control



w. LOB ETAL 2,841,781 ELECTRIC SIGNALLING DEVICE FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL July 1, 1958 Filed Jan. 9, 1956 5 W 4 M 4/. Hz nfi fls cmb ea; V AM ZXM TF0 45% 4 5 m. dm m a m United States Patent Ofiice r 2,841,781 Patented July 1, 195.8

ELECTRIC SIGNALLING DEVICE FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL Walter Lob, Munich, Josef Hiebsch, Dachau, near Munich, and Theodor Wietek, Munich, Germany Application January 9, 1956, Serial No. 558,111 Claims priority, application Germany January 10, 1955 4 Claims. (Cl. 340-321) Our invention relates to a manually operable signalling device for producing coloured trafiic lights visible especially at night.

A primary object of our invention consists in providing a signalling device to be operated by a traflic policeman for producing the usual coloured traflic lights by bringing his arm carrying the signalling device into the positions indicating the corresponding daylight trafiic signals.

These tratlic colours normally are red for stop, green for go and orange for attention or the pre-signal announcing the change of traflic lights.

A further object of our invention consists in providing a signalling device of this kind combined with an electric battery and a tumbler switch to form a trafiic control instrument of a convenient shape and automatic operation.

Thus, the present invention consists in a manually operable signalling device for automatically indicating coloured traflic indicating lights in accordance with its particular position and primarily is characterized by being designed to generate in one, say horizontal position of its longitudinal axis simultaneously one traffic indicating light as red in one traflic direction and the counter-indicating traffic light as green in a traflic direction practically at a right angle to said first direction and in a second, as a perpendicular position of its longitudinal axis a third traffic indicating light as orange in both said traffic directions.

Preferably the traflic signalling device according to our invention has a rod-like shape carrying in its hollow handle a plurality of primary elements connected in series. Due to this rod-shape the policeman may use it for daylight traffic control like a normal traffic control rod for directing the vehicles in one or the other direction. Usually the direction of travel is announced by the horizontally outstretched arm and the signal attention or change is characterized by the vertically lifted arm. It is evident that the traflic signalling device of our invention fits these normal daylight trafiic signals.

In another embodiment of our invention the tumbler switch automatically switching in the light source giving the desired traffic order light or lights is replaced by a reflector automatically assuming a position to direct the light emanating from a light source to the light filter or filters giving the desired trafiic indicating light or lights.

In a further embodiment of our invention there is provided a means for automatically switching out the signalling device when it is brought in a third position, say with its head directed downward.

Preferably the tumbler switch closing the electric circuit in the horizontal position of the longitudinal axis consists of a mercury switch provided with electrodes concentric to said longitudinal axis. In this case the mercury drop will bridge the electrodes independently of the actual radial position of the signalling device with respect to its longitudinal axis, and therefore the operator will not be forced to constantly draw his attention to keep the device in a prescribed radial position.

Further details of construction and advantages of our 2 invention may be recognized from the following description of a preferred and practically tested embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view showing a traflic signalling device provided with the features of our invention with the handle in plan view.

Fig. 2 is an axial section of said device the longitudinal axis thereof being in a horizontal position, and

Fig. 3 is a part section of said device the longitudinal axis thereof being in a vertically downwards-position.

In all figures corresponding parts are characterized by the same reference symbols.

The signalling device consists of the handle part 1 comprising a hollow case enclosing a plurality of cylindrical battery elements 2. This case carries the main switch 3 operating a sliding contact 4 and a short sleeve 5 holding a thick-walled hollow cylinder 6 made of transparent plastic material. The outer surface of said. transparent cylinder is dyed in the third traflic indicating colour such as orange by a fluorescent dye for increasing the light output. On the free end of the. hollow cylinder there is screwed a second short sheet metal sleeve 8 holding a solid body 9 of preferably slightly conical shape and also made of transparent plastic material. The outer surface 10 of this solid body 9 is dyed by a fluorescent dye transmitting only the red trailic indicating light. The free end surface 11 of the solid body 9 is also dyed by a fluorescent dye transmitting only the green tralfic indicating light. The end surface 12 of the solid body 9 arranged inside the sleeve 8 is undyed and polished as smoothly as possible. An annular flange 13 attached to or made of the front end of the sleeve 8 as well as an annular. disc 14 attached to the free end of the solid body 9 serve forscreeningofl the red light leaving the mantle surface 10 so that it will not be seen by the traffic people looking in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the signalling device. Preferably the screening 14 is made of an elastically resilient material such as soft rubber and aids in preventing the dyed surfaces 7, 10 and 11 from being damaged or scratched when placing the device on a table or other support. Furthermore, the screen may have reflecting surfaces on one or both sides to reflect the traflic light in the desired direction. In the lower part of the second sleeve 8 there is arranged an insulating plate 15 carrying on each side a holder for a filament lamp 16 and 17 resp. The lamp 16 projects into the inner space of the cylinder 7 dyed orange so that this cylinder lights up in bright orange when the lamp 16 is energized. On the other hand the lamp 17 is surrounded by a reflector 18 carried by a conical holder 19 preferably made of an elastic material. This holder urges the free edge of the reflector 18 against the inner end face of the solid body 9 so that all light rays emanating from the lamp 17 must pass this end face 12 and enter into the transparent solid body 9. Therefore, this solid body 9 optically acts as a so-called light-transition rod and causes a uniform illumination of its red-dyed mantle surface and its green-dyed end face 11. Thus, if the lamp 17 is energized, two different travel indicating lights of contrary order simultaneously are radiated into two directions being at right angles to each other as it is demanded by the traflic laws.

The feeding circuits for the two lamps 16 and 17 are the following: The negative terminal of the battery 2, namely the zinc cup is electrically connected to the case 1 and the movable member of the sliding contact 3 by the usual bottom spring. The counter-member of the pair of contacts 4 is connected to the holders of the two lamps 16 and 17 by the wire 20.

From here the feeding circuits fork. One circuit comprises the incandescent wire and the center pole of the lamp 16, the wire 21 and the left electrode of the lower pair of contacts or of the double mercury switch 22, see

Fig. 1. When the signalling device is held in the position shown in Fig. 1, its longitudinal axis being perpendicularly arranged the drop of mercury shown in dotted lines connectsthe left electrode to the right electrode of the contact pair or said electrode being connected to the coun ter-contact 23 and thus to the carbon terminal of the battery 2. Thus, in the position shown in Fig. l, the circuit feeding the lamp 16 is closed, the lamp lights up and the signalling device gives the orange traffic indicating light.

The second circuit comprises the incandescent wire and the center pole of the lamp 1'7, the wire and the right electrode of the upper pair of contact rg of the double mercury switch. This electrode as well as its counterelectrode are shaped as rings or discs and arranged in such a proximity of the lateral walls of the switch casing that the drop of mercury connects the two electrodes of the pair of contacts rg when the signalling device is held horizontally as shown in Fig. 2. The second electrode is also connected to the counter-contact 23 and thus to the positive carbon terminal of the battery 2. Thus, in the horizontal position of the signalling device shown in Fig.

2, the drop of mercury flows from its position shown in Fig. 1 into the .position in Fig. 2. Accordingly the lamp 16 generating the orange traffic indicating light is tie-energized and instead thereof the lamp 17 generating both the red and green traffic indicating lights lights up.

The two electrodes of the pair of contacts rg are insulated by a glassy cover. Therefore, if the signalling device is brought into the inoperative position shown in Fig. 3 its longitudinal axis being directed perpendicularly downwards the drop of mercury will flow into this area of the lower parts'of the electrodes, but will close no electrical contact due to the insulating cover. Accordingly, both lamps 16 and 17 .are de-energized in this position, and the signalling device will not be illuminated.

At the beginning and the end of operation the main slide switch 3, 4 will be operated.

Obviously instead of the double mercury-switch also a mechanical twin-switch provided with a pendulum member and two counter-electrodes suitably arranged may be used. I

What we claim is:

1. Traffic signalling device comprising a casing adapted to be used as a handle part and to receive therein at least one battery cell, a sleeve secured to the casing, a cylinder secured to the sleeve and composed of a transparent plastic material, a sleeve secured to the cylinder, a solid transparent plastic body in the form of a rod secured to the last-mentioned sleeve and having a peripheral side surface and an outer end face, a carrier in the form of an insulating plate secured on one end of the cylinder and having a light bulb secured on each side of the plate so that one light bulb will project light through the cylinder and the other bulb will project light through the transparent plastic body, and means to electrically connect the light bulbs to the battery, said cylinder having acolor on its peripheral surface and the plastic body having a different color on its side peripheral surface and a third color on its end face remote from the battery cell.

2. Traffic signalling device according to claim 1, in which the light emanating surfaces are dyed by fluorescent dyes.

3. Traflic signalling device according to claim 1, in which a screen device is secured adjacent the outer end face of the plastic body.

4. Traflic signalling device according to claim 1, in which the sleeves and the cylinder and body elements are arranged axially relative to each other.

149,736 Austria May 2-5, 1937 

